Ask yourself: how much and what kind of good will the agency get out of a relationship
with my class? Whenever possible, offer work that will help the agency implement its
primary purpose of service delivery.

Be as flexible as possible about the timing, extent and nature of the service to be
provided.

Get to know the agency's mission and involve them from the start. Agencies appreciate
being a part of the planning process.

Listen carefully to the agency's needs, ideas and concerns. Be open to possibilities
proposed by the agency. Don't fully develop a plan and then call them in.

The key to successful university/community relationships is communication, negotiation
and mutual respect. The best matches involve careful listening on both sides about
the needs of the other.

Be aware of potential culture clashes between the university and a community nonprofit
or K-12 school. Talk about these differences and the daily places where problems might
occur. Discuss ways to address or minimize miscommunication.

Examine your attitude towards your agency partner. Are you being controlling? Patronizing?
Do you think of the agency as an actual partner or as a necessary nuisance? Attitudes
communicate themselves.

Success often depends on the relationship between the agency representative and the
faculty member. Make time and develop your relationship. The single most powerful
way of doing this is in person.

Very few agencies know of community learning. They think in terms of community service.
Once they have caught on, most agencies are full of ideas for enhancing the learning
side of community learning. Share your course goals and encourage your partner to
brainstorm with you.

Most agencies are understaffed, under funded and in mild to acute perpetual crisis.
Don't take it personally when you're not the most important item on their agenda.

It is perfectly appropriate for an agency to turn down prospective volunteers. Sometimes
the skills, talents or temperament of the community learning students are mismatched
with the work or needs of the agency. At other times, the agency may not need what
you are offering or may not be able to use a large number of students at one time.

Successful placements and projects often have concrete goals and tangible outcomes
that can be measured. This happens best when agencies and teachers plan together.

Finally, remember that people work for nonprofits because they want to make the world
a better place, solve local problems and address pressing local issues. Like many
faculty, nonprofit and school staff want to work with you and help make a difference
in the lives of students.